1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of document capture and management and, in particular, to techniques for insuring high-quality document capture.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are many known techniques related to both image enhancement and analysis. However, current high-quality image capture solutions typically rely upon a flatbed scanning device, where both the orientation of the document and the direction and quality of the light source can be carefully controlled. Under these circumstances, there is little need to later correct for poor lighting or geometric distortion, as the light source is typically both ample and uniform, and the target document is held flat and perpendicular to both the camera and the light source.
With the recent promulgation of electronic cameras and smart phones offering high-pixel counts, it is becoming possible to capture a document with resolution on par with a flat-bed scanner. However, a camera or smart phone is typically used within less-than-ideal lighting conditions, and further, the camera or smart phone is often not held perpendicular to the target document during capture. The present invention assembles a number of known technologies in a novel way, in order to facilitate high-quality document capture using a camera, smart phone, or other similar device.